Ash trays



Oct. 22, 1968 o. n... ANCHELL ASH TRAYS Filed Sept. 22, 1966 INVENTOR. OWEN L. ANCHELL United States Patent 3,406,813 ASH TRAYS Owen L. Anchell, 401 E. 65th St., New York, N.Y. 10021 Filed Sept. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 581,227 4 (Zlaims. (Cl. 20619.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to an ash tray having a first compartment and second compartment. The first compartment is disposed beneath an opening in the housing and the second compartment is disposed beneath the closed off portion of the housing. A wall connected to the bottom of the housing is angularly disposed toward the second compartment. Cigarette residue is transferrable from the first to the second compartment by tilting the housing, the residue flowing over the angularly disposed wall into said compartment.

The present disclosure relates to a receptacle and more particularly to a compartmented ash tray.

Heretofore, it has been well known that the continued use of ash trays permitted the accumulation of cigarette butts, cigar butts and the like. Generally, after an ash tray has been used for a short period of time the accumulation of cigarette butts does not permit the continued use of the ash tray without allowing the smouldering of cigarette paper or ashes in the ash t-ray. Frequent- 1y when a cigarette receptacle, or ash tray, has been filled to capacity, and an individual places a cigarette on the ash tray for a short period of time, the residue in the ash tray of the cigarette butts begin to smoulder. Further, the continued use of the ash tray does not permit a clear extinguishing of the cigarette when the individual desires to Put the cigarette out.

Since the accumulation of cigarettebutts leads to a smouldering effect, in many instances, the situation created by the filled ash tray often leads to an unsafe condition whereby the ashes which have accumulated in the ash tray may easily be ignited again or blown from the ash tray in the ignited condition, thereby causing fires.

Further, a filled ash tray always conveys the impression of untidiness and the unsightly accumulation of cigarette butts and the like conveys a poor impression to an observer. Also, in many instances the owner of the receptacle does not have time to empty the ash tray and yet is desirous of leaving a clear ash tray so that subsequent users will not experience the inconvenience of using a filled ash tray.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties associated with prior art devices and to provide an ash tray which is economical to manufacture and easily utilized.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ash tray which may conceal a large number of cigarette butts and ashes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an ash tray which will permit the owner to maintain a clean receptacle for cigarette ashes and butts and the like.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an ash tray which is safe to use.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an ash tray from which accumulated ashes and butts may be easily removed.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ash tray which may maintain a neat and clear appearance.

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The objects of the present invention have been achieved by providing a receptacle comprising a housing means having an opening therein, a wall means disposed within said housing for providing a first and second compartment, said wall means being disposed in said opening, a means for tilting said housing to transfer ashes and butts from said one compartment to said second compartment thereby hiding the ashes and cigarette butts from sight.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view of the present invention taken along lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of the present invention showing the ash tray in a tilted position,

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view of another form of the present invention, and

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view of the alternative embodiment of the present invention showing the ash tray in its tilted form.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a receptacle or ash tray is shown and indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. Although the ash tray 10 is shown and described generally in the shape of a rectangle it should be particularly understood that the overall shape of the ash tray forms no part of the present invention and therefore the shape may take other convenient forms such as ovals, circles, squares and the like.

. The ash tray 10 may be provided with a housing means 12 which consists of a top cover 14, a bottom wall 16, side walls 18 and a front wall 20 and a rear wall 22.

The top cover 14 may be provided with a large opening 24 which may permit access to the hollowed out center portion 26 of the housing means 12.

The cover 14 of the ash tray 10 may be provided with a plurality of detents or cigarette holding means 28 so that lit cigarettes may be rested upon the cover 14 in the detents 28 thereby permitting the retention of a lit cigarette on the top cover 14 of the ash tray 10.

This cigarette holding means feature may be utilized if desired. However, it is particularly understood that this feature is optional and may be used if desired or dispensed with if so desired.

Disposed interiorly of the housing 12 a wall 30 may be angularly disposed therein and may be connected to the bottom Wall 16 of the housing 12. It should be noted that the wall 30 is tilted toward the rear wall 22 of the housing means 12 thereby forming a first compartment 32 in the front end portion of the housing means 12 and a second compartment 34 in the rear end portion of the housing 12. The wall 30 is generally disposed beneath the opening 24 in such position beneath the top cover 14. In order to permit a flow of residue from the first compartment 32 to the second compartment 34 the wall 30, although emanating from the bottom wall 16, does not meet the bottom surface 36 of the cover 14 such that a space 38 is conveniently formed beneath the cover 14. It may be seen therefore that residue may pass between the first compartment 32 and the second compartment 34 over the angularly disposed wall 30, when the housing means is positioned to permit a flow of residue to fall by gravity, or other means, from the first compartment 32 to the second compartment 34. It should be noted that the upper edge 40 of the angularly disposed wall 30 is positioned substantially rearwardlyof the large opening 24 so that when ashes and/or cigarette butts are transferred from the first compartment 32 to the second compartment 34 such residue passing over the upper edge 40 of the angularly disposed wall 30 will not fall out through the opening 24 but will merely pass over the upper edge 40 possibly hitting the bottom surface 36 of the cover 14 and fi'owing thereafter into the second compartment 34 Within the housing means 12.

In order to permit an individual to extinguish his cigarette in the ash tray 10 the opening 24 in the cover 14 should be large enough to permit an individual to fit his fingers into the opening thereby permitting the utilization of the bottom wall 16 of the ash tray 10 to be used as the surface against which the cigarette will be extinguished.

In order to provide a means of cleaning the cigarette butts and the like from the second compartment 34, the bottom wall 16 of the housing means 12 may be provided with disposal means 42. As shown in FIGURE 2 the disposal means 42 may take the form of a hinged door 44 which would cover an aperture 46. A hinge 48 may be provided such that the door 44 may be swung open exposing the aperture 46 thereby permitting the residue in the second compartment 34 to be expelled therefrom. As shown in FIGURE 3, the door 44 may be held in the closed position by a clip latch 50 which is recessed in a detent 52. In this manner the clip latch 50 will not protrude beneath the bottom surface 54 of the bottom wall 16 to mar furniture upon which it may be placed.

Although the disposal means 42 has hereinabove been described as a hinged door 44, other means (not shown) may also be used such as a slidable door arrangement or the like, and it should be particularly understood that the described invention is not limited to the disposal means shown in the preferred embodiment.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that alternatively the same principles herebefore described in connection with home or oflice ash trays are applicable to automobiles as well.

As shown in FIGURE 4, an ash tray 10' may be set within the dash-board 54 of an automobile in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. The other general structure or housing means 12' will be the same as those presently used in ash trays 10' that generally are downwardly when opened to expose a large opening 24 and having generally a small annular pedestal 56 for extinguishing cigarettes and the like.

However, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, a wall 30 may be provided below the upper edge 58 of the front wall 60 of the ash tray 10'. The wall 30' may be afiixed to the inner surface 62 of the front wall 60 and extend interiorly to the hollow center portion 26 of the ash tray 10 in the manner of a cantilever system. When the ash tray 10' is in the open position as shown in FIGURE 4, the wall 30' is in a horizontal position such that when cigarettes are extinguished on the annular pedestal 56 and dropped thererfom into the ash tray 10 the ashes and butts (not shown) will rest on the wall 30.

Since it is well known that the ash tray pivots about the lowermost point 64 when brought to the opened position, the wall 30' will slant downwardly when the front wall 60 is brought back to its vertical position where the ash tray 10' is closed. This, of course, occurs because the ash tray 10' again pivots on the lowermost point 64 when ash tray 10 is closed.

Therefore, when the ash tray 10 is placed in its closed position (FIGURE the ashes and butts resting on the upper surface 66 of the wall 30 will roll therefrom into the second compartment 34' in the lowermost portion of the ash tray It will be seen that upon closing of the ash tray 10' into the dashboard 54 of the automobile, the first compartment 32' (above the wall 30') will automatically be cleaned.

As previously described in connection with the preferred embodiment, in order to remove ashes and but-ts (not shown) from the second compartment 34 of the ash tray 10' an aperture 46' may be provided in the bottom wall 16' of the ash tray 10'. A hinged door 44' may be hingedly connected to the rear wall 22 such that the aperture 46' may be covered until it is desired to clean or remove the ashes and butts from the second compartment 34'. This may be accomplished generally by removing the ash tray 10 from the dashboard 54 and opening the latch arrangement 50' (as shown in the dashed lines of FIGURE 5) thereby permitting the residue to fall through the aperture 46' and be thereafter discarded.

In the cases of the desk or house ash tray 10 and the automobile ash tray 10', the ashes and/0r cigarette butts are transmitted from the first compartment 32, 32 to the second compartment 34, 34 by tilting the housing means 12, 12 so that the ashes and butts pass over the wall 30, 30 thereby being deposited and out of sight in the second compartment 34, 34.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by providing an ash tray which may be tilted to empty the ashes and other residue into itself providing a self emptying ash tray which is easily operated and economical to manufacture.

I claim:

1. An ash t-ray comprising a housing means having a top cover, a bottom wall and side walls, said top cover having a large opening therein to receive smoking residue, a wall means fixedly disposed wtihin said housing means for providing a first compartment being beneath said large opening and adapted to receive smoking residue, and a second compartment being disposed beneath said top cover, said wall means being in communication with one wall and providing a space therearound so that smoking residue will be transferred from said first compartment to said second compartment via said space when said housing means is tilted and disposal means in said housing means in communication with said second compartment for disposing of the transferred residue, said housing means being provided with a front wall, said housing means being pivotably mounted within an automobile dashboard.

2. An ash tray according to claim 1 wherein said wall means is fixedly connected to the front wall such that when said housing means is pulled out from the dashboard said wall means is in a horizontal position and when said housing means is pushed back into the dashboard said wall means is positioned on a downward incline.

3. An ash tray according to claim 2 wherein said large openin in said top cover is exposed to receive cigarette residue and exposes said first compartment when said housing means is pulled outwardly from the dashboard, said second compartment being disposed beneath said first compartment.

4. An ash tray according to claim 3 wherein said disposal means is disposed in the bottom wall of said housing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,377,713 6/1945 Penney et al 206- 1,131,150 3/1915 McCorroll 131-242 1,627,233 5/ 1927 DArleux. 2,146,489 2/ 1939 Thomas. 2,487,131 11/ 1949 Harris 206-38 2,563,750 8/1951 Rosenbaum 131-242 X FOREIGN PATENTS 516,228 9/1955 Canada.

MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner. 

